Max About Town

Everybody loves a good BBQ. Nothing is better on a cool summer evening in Colorado than having some friends over for food, drinks, and games. But not every BBQ is a success.​Check out these simple tips from Mulberry MAX to ensure that your BBQ turns into a great event for everyone!

Assortment of DrinksIt all starts with refreshments. Beer for the guys, wine for the gals, and cocktails for everyone. Having a large assortment of beverages might be the single most important part to hosting a sweet BBQ that your friends will tell their friends about. Make sure to head to the nearest liquor store in Fort Collins to pick up your local favorites.

One thing to remember though is that some of your friends may not drink alcohol or may prefer a specific type of drink. Make sure that you are able to host these friends as well, since you want everyone to have a good time.

Another good solution is to have everyone bring a six pack to share, or juice, soda, or other type of beverage. Not only will you have a large assortment, everyone should have something that they can enjoy!

Food RequirementsWe all know that when we grade out a BBQ, it’s usually the food that is under scrutiny. The grill master will be in charge of making sure that you have BBQ chicken, bratwurst, burgers, steaks, or kabobs cooked to perfection. Make sure you have side dishes like salad, macaroni salad, or fruit to accompany the main course.

But when it comes specifically to your guests, you should be aware of any special food requirements that they might have. Some may not prefer to eat meat, or can’t eat types of sugar or gluten. Similar to drinks, be aware of the specific needs of those that are attending your party to make sure that everybody is happy and not hungry!

Great MusicIt’s obvious that music makes for a great party and sets the mood to have a relaxed BBQ at your home. You can actually get pretty cheap portable speakers online that can connect wirelessly or via Bluetooth so that you can move the speaker to any room in the house, out on the patio, or in the yard.

For the sake of your guests, make sure to put on a playlist tha wont offend anyone. For example, if there are kids at your BBQ, it’s always a good idea to have a clean playlist ready for those who are underage.

Yard GamesNothing completes a BBQ like having some entertainment for people. There are literally hundreds of different yard games to play that will keep your guests entertained while the food is being prepared.

Cornhole is perhaps one of the most popular games in Colorado, as well as Horseshoes, ladder ball, can jam, and washers. Most of these games are available online for a relatively low price, and will provide hours of entertainment for you and your friends, and they are great for kids and adults alike!

Mulberry MAX Liquor Store is committed to making your Fort Collins BBQ a success! Stop in to the store to pick up all of your favorite beer, wine, and spirits. Check out our current sales for specials on local Colorado breweries!

Fort Collins is one of the greatest places in all of Northern Colorado, and actually, the entire country. And one of the things that Fort Collins is best known for is the explosion of local craft breweries over the past few years.

We all know about New Belgium and Odell’s, but how much do you know about Horse & Dragon, Snowbank, or the Gilded Goat? How much do you know about Rally King, Black Bottle, and Funkwerks?

If you live in Fort Collins, you’re probably familiar with some of these names, but it can be very difficult to keep up with what each Fort Collins brewery has to offer. Every week, there are new local beers to experiment with, and if you’re not out there exploring, you’re likely to miss out on all of the great craft beers that Fort Collins has to offer.

So we’ve put together a couple tips to make sure that you stay on top of the local Fort Collins craft beer scene:

Go on a brewery tour. Even if you live here, and even if you have done it before.

Fort Collins has a ton of options when it comes to brewery tours. There are some tours that will take you to multiple breweries in a single day, and new breweries are being added to local tours all the time.

The most well-known tours are those at New Belgium and Odell’s. Even if you have done these tours before, it’s always fun to go through the tour again as the tour guide will usually key you in to what the company is currently working on, and you might even get to taste a sample of something exclusive that hasn’t hit shelves yet.

In addition, there are multiple local bus and limo companies that offer comprehensive tours of the breweries in town, and there’s really no better way to spend a Saturday than cruising around in a limousine with friends drinking beer all day!

Make it a point to visit a new local tap room each week.

There’s always something new to discover in Fort Collins, and when it comes to craft breweries, this has never been more true. The single best way to discover new local beers is to visit the source.

Fort Collins is home to over 20 small craft breweries, and most of them have a tasting room where you can go in, sit down, and see what unique brews that brewery has to offer. Often times, you will be able to order the brand’s most popular beer, but there will also be a selection of seasonal or limited beers that you would have never known about had you not gone into the tap room.

Grab a friend, a coworker, or a sibling and make a point to try a new place each week. After a few months, you will know who your favorite breweries are and which beers you like the best.

Ask the staff at your local liquor store if there is anything new from local breweries.

If you’re like most people, you walk in to a liquor store and see what is on special or what is in the beer cooler. Your mind rarely ever goes very far beyond what you see.

However, one of the best ways to learn about new local Fort Collins beers is to ask the staff at a Fort Collins liquor store. After all, these stores are constantly on the search for new beers themselves, and often times are in direct contact with local suppliers. This gives liquor store owners and staff members the inside track to what’s new in town, and what is yet to come.

At Mulberry MAX Liquor Store, we keep our ear to the ground with all local breweries and will be able to tell you which craft beers are selling well. All you have to do is ask!

Hopefully these tips are helpful to you as embark on your exploration or everything that the Fort Collins craft beer scene has to offer!